The Destructive Nature of Passion

           Through her short story, “Roman Fever,” Edith Wharton analyzes the destructive nature of passion. Wharton juxtaposes the effect that passion and impulsiveness have on her two main characters, Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. Through this comparison, Wharton reveals how fervent emotions led each woman to make impulsive decisions and partake in damaging actions. This revelation then causes the reader to understand that the end result of a situation does not justify the means of an action. Wharton manifests her message through various symbols including: Roman Fever, Grace’s knitting and the transition from day to night.

            Wharton places great emphasis on the ancient, feared disease of Roman Fever. This disease existed as the main anxiety of tourists who travelled to Rome. Roman Fever was coined to describe Malaria, a mosquito-spread disease made prominent in Rome due to the city’s surrounding swamps. Society especially made clear the vital importance of protecting young women—who were thought to be fragile and susceptible to illness—from this disease. “Roman Fever” also was used to mean the lust-filled, passionate characteristics of young love that ran rampant in this romantic city. Like the actual disease, parents thought it of importance to shield their daughters from the chaos of unmarried love. Wharton draws on both aspects of this term and uses it as a vivid symbol in this story. The metaphorical sense of Roman Fever manifests itself differently in each woman. Grace experienced this in her girlhood through her desire for Delphin, Alida’s soon-to-be husband.  This desire drove Grace to meet with Delphin in secret and their affair led to the conception of her daughter, Barbara. In contrast, the metaphorical sense of Roman Fever manifested itself in Alida through the forms of suspicion and jealousy. Alida’s intense emotions led her to internalize hate for Grace throughout her life. She always suspected that Grace loved her husband and this inkling drove her mad with jealousy.

            Wharton reveals the small detail of Grace knitting in the beginning of the story. She illustrates Grace as knitting with “crimson silk.” This seemingly mundane and unimportant detail serves as a poignant symbol. The act of knitting in essence intertwines two strings of cloth. This action of intertwining two separate fabrics and making them one symbolizes the joining of the troubled lives of both these women. Each woman loved the same man even though only one married him. Both women internalized dark secrets that centered on each other’s lives. For instance, both women had daughters by the same man. The color “crimson” denotes passion. In essence, Grace intertwines the passionate feelings of both women into one object: one lifetime.  Both women’s stories are more engrained than either of them can comprehend and it is not until the end that Wharton reveals how connected Grace and Alida truly are.

            This story takes place during the transition from day to night. Wharton begins by saying that the two ladies were “lunching.” This denotes that, at first, the women were together in daytime. As the two women sit at the window and look out onto the “Palatine” and the “Forum,” the day slowly evolves into night. This transition into nighttime also signifies a shift into darkness. The natural transition occurs while each lady reveals an intimate secret. Alida confesses that she knew of Grace’s love for her husband all along and she wrote the letter that called Grace to meet with Delphin in secret. As this confession occurs, Wharton illustrates the Roman sky as “empt[ying] of all of its gold.” This symbolizes the loss of peace and forced cordiality between the women. The sheen of ignorance has left from their relationship as “dusk” spreads over the sky. The corner in which the two women sat becomes “shadowy and deserted” as all traces of friendship flee. They are plunged into the darkness of a shadow casted by secrets when Grace reveals that Delphin did meet her that one fateful night and their affair led to the birth of her daughter, Barbara.

            Through “Roman Fever,” the reader realizes the consequences of passion and contemplates whether or not each experience was worth the harbored secrets. Although chaotic, exciting and fervent, all types of passion can lead to painful consequences. Wharton manifests destructive passion through Alida in the form of jealousy. Her suspicion and jealous thoughts led her to deceive Grace and hold a grudge throughout all of the years of their acquaintance. Grace, on the other hand, experienced passion through an affair. Although this affair resulted in the birth of her beloved daughter, she had to live her life harboring the secret of an illegitimate child. No one woman exists as the victim in this story. Neither Grace nor Alida can claim innocence. Each woman partook in the whirlwind of passion that is Rome and was forced to live with the consequences.